Becoming a Midwife in North Carolina – NC

A career in midwifery includes challenging and rewarding scenarios that vary from patient to patient. Becoming a midwife in North Carolina would enable you to practice in a variety of locations such as hospitals, birthing centers, private practice, and military hospitals. North Carolina, like most of the other states in the U.S. requires a high level of training and certification in order to practice midwifery. Contrary to what many people may believe, a midwife can, and often does, serve as primary care provider for women beyond pre-natal and obstetric care. They can provide regular primary care, including the ability to write prescriptions, as well as basic gynecologic care.

Certified nurse-midwives (CNM) and certified midwives (CM) are similar in several respects. Although they both have high levels of education, are educated in the same programs, and perform the same duties, only certified nurse-midwives can legally practice in all 50 states. The major difference is the nursing background that certified nurse-midwives have—they are or were registered nurses prior to becoming trained as a midwife.

The services a CNM offers are in high demand and will continue to grow in popularity as the cost of medical care increases. Many obstetrics practices, clinics, and hospitals utilize a CNM because they are much cheaper than bringing another physician on staff. In addition, some patients feel more comfortable and can relate better to a midwife, as they typically use less invasive technology during pre-natal care and birth.